Papaya Iron Punch

In my home it is me and Arjun who prefer to experiment with fruits instead of eating them as it is. I do know that you get the much needed fiber when you eat them raw but when you make them into juices and milkshakes you get much needed flavor to suit your palate and other nutrients too. This is one such simple drink which has the much needed nutrient “Iron” in it. Hence the name and I would recommend it for anemic persons.

I love papaya very much for its smoothness and density that it lends when used in milkshakes or juices. If you use very ripe papaya as I did you will get this wonderful color. The usage of lemon juice in this punch is to help in quicker absorption of the Iron by our body. Vitamin ‘C’ always does that.

You’ll need:

Papaya, cubed

1 cup

Jaggery

3 – 4 tbsp

Dates, pitted

8 – 10

Lemon juice

2 tbsp

Salt

a pinch

Water

As needed

Method:

Chop the dates finely. Place the dates and jaggery in a blender and grind it using little water. Now add the papaya pieces and required amount of water and run the blender till everything is pureed.

Add the lemon juice and run for a minute. Drain the liquidizer over a colander and keep stirring it for quicker extraction. Add more water if it is thick.

Serve in tall glasses over ice cubes.

Notes:

You can replace jaggery with sugar.

You can also add a handful of mint leaves while liquidizing if you like the flavor.

Hi Radhika! Awesome recipe for an iron-rich drink… exactly what I was looking for. I fully intend to try it and will give feedback. 😀

I wonder what you would think of adding orange juice instead of the lemon juice as well as water. I mean, I really don’t like the strong tart taste of lemon in many drinks and I do think orange juice would serve the purpose. Will try both I guess. 🙂 Thanks for sharing this recipe!

Thank you so much Farah. Lemon juice is added for a reason. It is not only a taste enhancer but the vitamin C helps in faster absorption of Iron by the body. Do try it out both ways or reduce the lemon juice for a less tart flavor.